


Of Cocoa & Candy Cane

by holysmoakingqueenz



Category: Arrow (TV), Arrow - Fandom, The Green Arrow - Fandom
Genre: AU, Drabble, F/M, Future, Gen, One-Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-10
Updated: 2015-12-10
Packaged: 2018-05-06 01:02:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5397002
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/holysmoakingqueenz/pseuds/holysmoakingqueenz
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“How did you propose to mom?” Addie asked as she propped herself up on the couch and took a sip of hot cocoa. </p>
<p>“It was on the 4th night of Hanukkah and I got down on one knee.” Oliver said as he stirred his hot chocolate. His daughter, the spitting image of her mother, looked up from her cup- her glasses falling just slightly off the bridge of her nose. </p>
<p>“Dad... C’mon... I know that there’s more to the story. Mom says you’re not really a romantic type of guy with the moves but you are romantic, which is totally an oxymoron but I will say I get it.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Of Cocoa & Candy Cane

**Author's Note:**

> A future talk between Oliver and his daughter-where she pieces it all together, and Oliver doesn't deny it. This time of year is filled with many bad memories for Oliver Queen, but as he reminisces about his past and where it's lead him to now, he's pretty sure those dark time are what make his life so great now.

“How did you propose to mom?” Addie asked as she propped herself up on the couch and took a sip of hot cocoa. 

“It was on the 4th night of Hanukkah and I got down on one knee.” Oliver said as he stirred his hot chocolate. His daughter, the spitting image of her mother, looked up from her cup- her glasses falling just slightly off the bridge of her nose. 

“Dad... C’mon... I know that there’s more to the story. Mom says you’re not really a romantic type of guy with the moves but you are romantic, which is totally an oxymoron but I will say I get it.” 

“Of course you get it. I still stand by my declaration that you’re 2/3 her genetic make up and 1/3 mine rather than the 50/50 it’s supposed to be.” 

“If that’s the case for me, then Tommy is 2/3 you and 1/3, Mom.” 

Oliver laughed as he watched his 14 year old take a sip of her hot cocoa and get some whip cream on the top of her nose. 

This was their ritual during the holidays; All these years later and he still had trouble sleeping at night. Especially since many of his years were hard during this time of year, the memories always came back to haunt him. (The years since had been kind to him, as if the master of the universe or divine creatures felt the need to say that they were sorry for all those hard times, but that doesn’t take away the memories.) 

Oliver walked over and leaned himself against the counter next to Addie.

“When you were a baby, your mom would come home late from a meeting and snuggle with you on the couch. She was trying to rebrand Palmer Tech to Queen Inc., and they were some long days. You were teething, running a fever.... I’d come down from bed and find you half awake on your mother’s chest while she was passed out cold. I’d put you in the playpen and carry your mom to bed and then I’d come downstairs and watch a movie or read and just hold you until the wee hours of the morning when you’d start to feel better. When you got older, and after your incident with the nightmares, you’d find your way down to the couch, and we’d do the same. I would even give you some hot chocolate as a baby to help you feel better. I don’t know if it is typical parenting or not.... But these are our special times.” 

“Mom told me that your a part insomniac. You have trouble sleeping.” 

“Your mother is right. About a lot of things.” 

“I know. I also know when you’re keeping something from me.” 

“See, you are more and more like your mother every day.” 

“So... Maybe if you’re not going to spill the beans, I will.” 

“Adaline Queen what are you referring too?” 

“Dad, exactly how long did you think it would take me to put all the pieces together. Sure you’re late for a lot of things, mom says time doesn’t always change some things. You’d be late to practices and recitals, you’d have bruises on your forehead or arms... You never swam at my back to school parties every summer. The kids talked about you... I’ve heard the stories. I started drawing hypotheses and made observations about two years ago.” 

“I’m not...” 

“You spent five years on an island. You were tortured. I’ve seen the scars when you walk around the house with no shirt. I never asked questions.. Mom always said they were a touchy subject and would roll her eyes because she still doesn’t know you got half of them. You learned master archery skills and other skills needed for survival... You came back and that’s when the man in green appeared. Grandpa Lance used to tell us these ‘fictional’ police stories of working with the man under the hood. Eventually it all came together. And then my ‘incident’ two years ago and why you were so over bearing after it.” 

“You know I’m the Green Arrow.” 

“Were you ever going to tell us?” Addie asked as she scooted closer to her father and rested her head on his shoulder. 

“Addie.. Things in my life, have always been complicated. Never easy. Your mother chose this life and I am always thankful for her, but every day I wonder why she chose me and chose this life too. I’ve been, seen and done, things in my life that I’m not sure your science loving brain even believes in. My world, that part at least, comes with many consequences. Your mother learned to deal with them far better than I would have hoped... And when we talked about kids it was hard. Do we raise children in an environment when I’m not promised tomorrow and in an place where they might always be safe.” Oliver stopped and took a breath as he swirled his candy cane in his cup. “But your mother is... All I can say is I hope you find someone in your life that makes you feel like I do about your mother. She changed my prospective on so many things and gave me more than I ever thought I would have. That includes you and your older brother.” 

“Still, were you ever going to tell us?” 

“When your mom found out she was pregnant with Tommy, we had been married for just over a year. It was 2017, in February, and we were dealing with the fall out from the death of Malcolm Merlyn, who was once Ras Al Ghul.” 

“The League of Assassins, right? Grandpa Lance used to tell us stories about them... They dressed up like ninjas.” 

Oliver stiffened his shoulders and choked on his words. “Yes. The League. After the stunt that I pulled in spring of 2015 and became heir to the demon to save your Aunt Thea’s life... Aunt Nancy became very angry.” 

“Oh my god, Aunt Nancy is in this too?” 

“Your Aunt Sara’s wife, Nancy, her real name is Nyssa. We had you kids call her Nancy so that you wouldn’t find out the truth until you were told.” 

“So Aunt Sara? And Nyssa.”

“Both members of the league.”

“Finish your story.” Addie said as she nodded for him to continue.

"There was a power struggle in the League. I can’t remember what Malcolm had done.... But it angered Nyssa. In the spring of 2015, the Arrow had to go up against the League to save your Aunt Thea... to keep your mother and Uncle Dig and Aunt Lyla - to keep everyone safe. We hadn’t dealt with a power, a force that big, so I teamed up with Malcolm and created a plan. I used the pit to resurrect Thea and traded my life for hers. I became Al-Sahim heir to the Demon. I was going to become Ras Al Ghul. Your mother didn’t like that, and Ras had be try to kill my own city. In the end I killed Ras and Malcolm became the Demons Head. Nyssa was not pleased, and frankly Nyssa deserved the league at that point. So for about two years Malcolm had the league.... And it was fine. Until he did something Nyssa despised, and she had men kill Malcolm.”

“This is way better than Grandpa’s stories.” 

“Is it too much, kiddo?” 

“Keep going. I still have half a glass of hot cocoa.” 

“The League is a place built on ancient traditions and when they didn’t have a leader some of the members came to me asking for guidance. I had gone through their initiation to become Ras once upon a time... But Nyssa wanted the League for herself. At the time, Nyssa and Aunt Sara were navigating some tough waters. Aunt Sara was working with Mr. Ray on another mission of sorts and almost died. The Spring of 2017 was a tough time on all fronts for the Arrow things and then your mother found out she was pregnant.” 

“With Tommy.” 

“It was Valentines day, on a Tuesday. We had had a long weekend. Flying to Nanda Parbat and then back to here to handle some Meta humans with Uncle Barry. I had planned dinner and opera that was traveling around the country but when we pulled in from Central City in the early morning on Tuesday your mom was passed out on the couch. She had been taken by the Elctrocutioner. It took me more than 12 hours to find her... If he had put both of his hands on her she would have died. Luckily enough I shot an Arrow through one of them and he needed time to heal. Anyways.... We got home and she took a shower and went to work like nothing was wrong. I spent all day wondering what I did wrong, because she was acting out of sorts. So that night, I picked her up from work instead of James, and she was shocked. I decided we needed a quiet night in, she needed rest and to just be home. Diggle and Aunt Laurel watched the city that night. I cooked dinner and we watched her favorite movie, Robin Hood of all things.” 

“Mom obviously has a type.” Addie laughed as she kept staring intently up at her dad.

“She does. The 1938 version, for future reference, baby girl. When King Richard the Lionheart was taken, she just bawled. And your mom does cry, not all time and it takes a lot to make her cry... But she just bawled. I had never seen anything like that before. I had never felt so hopeless. I just held her for twenty minutes before she finally said ‘damn hormones.’ It made me cry because it all made sense to me. She just looked up to me and said ‘He could have killed both of us.’” Oliver wiped a tear off his face recalling the memory. “She was right. But we wanted that, we wanted a family, we wanted to have you two. I just told her I would do whatever it takes to protect my family. Whatever the cost. And trust me, your mother knew and understood that. She just took my hand and placed it on her stomach and said ‘We’re not going to tell then until they are 18. Legal adults who can make their own choices. We will keep them safe. If they find out before and ask us we won’t lie. But we won’t tell them. It’s too dangerous.’ And that was that. We never talked about it again. So yes, we were going to tell you in 4 more years. Your brother next year. But I said I wouldn’t lie to you. So know you know.” 

“I can’t tell Tommy, can I?” Addie asked as she took the last sip of her hot cocoa. 

“I’m not going to tell you that you can’t but I am not going to tell you that you can.” 

“Ugh, daaaad. Why do you always have to use cryptic messages?” 

“It’s part of my nature kiddo. Always have been. Drove your mother nuts when we first started dating.” 

“Which leads us back to the original question in all of this... How did you propose? Aunt Laurel has told us it was super romantic and so does Aunt Thea, but whenever I asked as a little girl you and mom just kind of brush it off.” 

“You are just as nosy as your Grandmother. It’s definitely those Smoak genes.” 

“Dad, c’mon.” 

“Long story short, it’s already one am and you have school in a few hours, and if your mother finds us we’re both in the dog house, but, before your mother my life was in a very dark place. I’ve done things I am not proud of- things that make me not deserving of your mom or you, or Tommy. But somewhere along the way, when my mother shot me, I showed up in your mom’s tiny little mini cooper. She saved my life that night with Uncle Dig and from then on she stuck with me. The good, the bad, the ugly, the hard times, the dark times. She was and is my source of light. It was this night, 20 years ago I asked her to marry me. On my first campaign tree lighting ceremony. I gave a speech and asked her, and she said yes. The problem was that was also the night your mother was shot. One of the worst nights of my life. The closest she’s every come to dying. Although she equates me being flung off the side of a cliff a closer death for her. We’ve just had some rough times during this time of the year in our past... And it makes me sleepless because I still struggle with the reality that I have before my eyes.” Oliver said as he pulled his girl in for a hug and kissed her forehead. “You and your brother and your mother are the best things I have done with my life.”

“Did you say you were flung off the side of a cliff?” Addie said as she put her mug in the sink next to her. That’s when they both heard the faint footsteps belonging to Felicity as she made her way into the kitchen. Felicity laughed and put her glasses on as she pulled them from out of her robe. 

“He was flung off of a mountain and I thought he died for 3 months, 9 months later I was in the hospital with 4 major gunshot wounds. 2015 brought us the best and worst of times.” Felicity laughed as she wrapped herself around Oliver. “She figured it out, didn’t she.”

“I swear I didn’t say anything.... She’s definitely your daughter.” Oliver replied as he kissed the top of Felicity’s nose. 

“I can’t believe my family. Aunt Thea, my MOM, Uncle Dig, Aunt Lyla, Aunt Sara... and Nancy or Nyssa.. I don’t even know. This is a lot to process.” 

“It is, Addie. But I want you to know, we will keep you safe. Always.” 

“I know... And Dad, I’ve always wanted to thank the Green Arrow for saving my life when Slade took me those few years ago. So I guess I’ll say thank you to him now.” Addie said as she jumped off the counter and kissed her dad’s cheek. “You’re my hero. Now I am going to bed. This was great dad. We should do it again.” 

Addie kissed her mother’s cheek and retreated to her bedroom. 

“You hear that, Oliver? You’re her hero.” 

“It’s nice to hear, makes me believe in the magic of this time of year again.” 

“You’re my hero too, always have been, always will be.” Felicity said as she nuzzled into his side just a little bit more. 

Oliver held her there, reciting the Jewish blessings for that night of Hanukkah in his head. “Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has granted us life, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this occasion.”

In his head as Felicity drifted to sleep he started thanking the divine order that he was able to reach the number 46, with hope to make it to it 40 more years. 86 being the number he’s held on to for so long.

**Author's Note:**

> (Http://santagotsmoaked.tumblr.com)   
> Comments/Reviews/Kudos make me smile!  
> Happy Hanukkah to those who celebrate.


End file.
